Biden Responds To Criticism Of Comment On Taxes And Patriotism

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden told CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric today that he is "sick and tired" of the "phoniness" in criticism of his comment that it is patriotic for Americans with high incomes to pay higher taxes.

"There's been quite a brouhaha about your comment about paying higher taxes for those making $250,000 a year and over is the patriotic thing to do," Couric said to Biden while riding on his campaign bus.

As Couric noted, GOP vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said in response to Biden's comment, "To the rest of America, that's not patriotism. Raising taxes is about killing jobs and hurting small businesses. And making things worse."

"How many small businessmen are making $1,400,000 a year average in the top 1 percent?" Biden responded. "Give me a break. I remind my friend John McCain what he said when Bush called for war and tax cuts he said, 'it is immoral, immoral to take a nation to war and not have anybody pay for it.'"

"I am so sick and tired of this phoniness," Biden continued. "The truth of the matter is that we are in trouble, and the people who do not need a new tax cut should be willing as patriotic Americans to understand the way to get this economy back up on their feet is to give middle class taxpayers a break. We take the tax cut they're getting and we give it to the middle class."